Author: TMC Palau
Supplied A landmark climate change opinion from the International Court of Justice has strengthened the Pacific’s push for greater global accountability, with Fiji saying it provides a legal foundation for future negotiations. One year after the ICJ delivered its historic advisory opinion on climate change, Fiji’s Permanent Secretary for Environment and Climate Change, Dr Sivendra Michael, says Pacific nations now have a stronger platform to demand action. He says climate change is no longer only a matter of political promises, but a question of legal responsibility. “The advisory opinion is the foundation the Pacific must stand on at COP31, as…
Indian boxing manager Neeraj Rendhu has defended the late withdrawal of boxer Rohit Chauhan from the Kings Boxing Promotion, insisting the decision was based on a genuine medical concern. The withdrawal has raised questions after promoter Narun Buksh claimed the decision resulted in financial losses and disrupted plans for Chauhan’s highly anticipated bout against local boxer Mikaele Ravalaca. But Rendhu says the matter has already been discussed with the promoter and boxing authorities, with the required medical documentation provided. “We are discussing with the promoter. I’ve already submitted everything. I don’t think I have to answer all those questions because…
The Ministry of Education has launched an investigation after a video circulated online showing a visiting religious group interacting with a student at Natabua High School without prior approval. Education Minister Aseri Radrodro says the ministry is reviewing the circumstances surrounding the visit by members of the Steadfast Baptist Church Group from the United States and the Philippines on 16 July. The minister says the group’s visit was not approved through the ministry’s required processes. Radrodro met with representatives from the United States Embassy, who confirmed they had no prior knowledge or involvement in the group’s visit or activities in…
Fijian Drua v NSW WaratahsKick-off: 1:05pm NZT, Saturday 25 JulyVenue: Four R Stadium, Ba, FijiThe Fijian Drua women are ready to re-write their own history when they host their first-ever Super Rugby Women’s (Super Rugby W) final at home in Ba on Saturday.Head coach Mike Legge, who has been part of the set-up since the team’s inception in 2022, is confident the team can beat the defending champion NSW Waratahs.Should the Fijian women defeat the visitors, it will secure them their third Super W title.A win will also see them battle the winner of the Super Rugby Aupiki final between…
The McDonald’s Fiji Drua Women are refusing to change their approach ahead of their Super Rugby Women’s Grand Final showdown, despite the return of several key NSW Waratahs players. The defending champions have strengthened their lineup for today’s final in Ba, including Wallaroo Caitlin Halse, but Drua Head Coach Mike Legge says his side expected those changes. “It’s no surprise. The team that they’ve selected, we expected those things to happen. We knew Caitlin Halse was going to come straight back in the lineup because she’s a quality player.” Legge says the Waratahs’ selections will not affect the Drua’s preparations,…
Police in Tonga have put up a TP$5000 (approx. NZ$3400) bounty for information that leads to the capture of two recent jail escapees: one New Zealander and one Fijian.They have also launched a parallel investigation into how the escape, which involved a third individual, occurred.Tonga police issue bounty for information on two fugitivesPacific WavesOn Wednesday, Tonga Police held a news conference regarding the remandees – Liuaki Kokohu VI, a 35-year-old New Zealand citizen of Tongan descent, Adam Hussein, a 35-year-old Fijian national, and a 16-year-old male – who escaped from custody at the Central Police Station in Nuku’alofa on Sunday.Kokohu…
Effects of Climate Change The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change says the proposed Public Health Bill fails to adequately address the health risks posed by climate change. Submitting to the Standing Committee on Social Affairs, Policy Manager Genevieve Jiva says the Bill must require authorities to consider the health impacts of climate change and extreme weather. Jiva says the current draft overlooks public health risks from flooding, cyclones, storm surges, heatwaves and sea-level rise, despite their increasing frequency and severity. The Ministry also wants the Bill to require health officers to consider climate change when monitoring mosquito-borne diseases.Article continues…
Tonga Police has confirmed it has captured one of the two men on the run after escaping from its headquarters earlier this week.On Wednesday, police put up a TP$5000 (approx. NZ$3400) reward for information leading to the capture of foreign escapees Liuaki Kokohu VI, a 35-year-old New Zealand citizen of Tongan descent, and Adam Hussein, a 35-year-old Fijian national.A third escapee, 16-year-old male, who also escaped from custody at the Central Police Station in Nuku’alofa on Sunday was captured in the early hours of Tuesday morning in Mataika.In a statement on Friday, Tonga Police confirmed the Fijian national Hussein was…
Barcelona”I try to write every day, never to fail”, said Josep Vallverdú in 2022, months before turning 99, when he presented one of his latest youth novels, The Eighth Dwarf (La Galera), in which he imagined an alternative version of the popular Snow White. For more than six decades – the ones separating The Fish Seller (Arimany, 1960) and Treasured Silence (Pagès, 2023)– Vallverdú dedicated himself to building, with admirable constancy, rigor, and heterogeneity, one of the most prolific works – exceeding 200 books – in contemporary Catalan literature, which this Tuesday closes with his death at 103 years old,…
Group of Farmers Proposed fines under the Public Health (Amendment) Bill 2026 could hurt farmers if they are set too high, the Ministry of Agriculture has warned. Presenting its submission to the Standing Committee on Social Affairs during live public consultations on the Bill, Permanent Secretary Andrew Tukana said the Ministry supports the proposed law but wants safeguards to ensure farmers and rural communities are not unfairly affected by tougher enforcement. Tukana said the Bill aligns with the Ministry’s long-term agricultural and sugar industry plans by strengthening water source protection, environmental health, pollution control, livestock management and disease surveillance. He…